Gender Roles In Desiree's Baby By Kate Chopin

“Desiree’s Baby” is a story written by Kate Chopin, the plot primarily centers on race issues and includes components of sexism. As far as race, the distinction between being white and being black shows high importance in the characters’ lives throughout the story. Desiree and Armand both initially relate themselves with the white class, once the plot is revealed that they are of black heritage they are faced with doubt and their lives become useless and not worth living. This vanity is shown through the symbolism Chopin employs that white items are depicted in a positive way and black objects are depicted in a negative way. Gender roles are looked into all throughout the story as Desiree struggles to establish herself in the best way.
Racism is a predominant point all through "Desiree 's Baby", as the shade of a man 's skin is the fundamental component that decides the estimation of his life. In the story Desiree comes to the conclusion that she is black and that the reason why the baby is black is because it comes from her she bellows, "You should know it is not valid. I might kick the bucket. I should bite the dust. I can 't be so despondent and live" (Chopin 244). As she faces that everyone is saying she is …show more content…
A reference to this is description of how the love Armand has for Desiree is “sweeping over him like an avalanche.” This love that has been formed between the two of them is a positive point in “Desiree’s Baby” and as the love was described as an avalanche, offers the reader an image that white is a positive color. Within the analysis that Peel has she begins to says that Armand is “a white male assured as his place as master.”(236) With Armand being said to have white skin it gives him power and a high position within society. L’Abri is a relation